Steering device for tractors.



A. STENQUIST. STEERING DEVICE FOR TRAGTORS. APPLICATION FILED JAN.27, 191s.

Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

9E? Jim/1220 w gs its inner end with an inwardly extendedl AUGUS T STENQUIST, OF DRAYTON, NORTH DAKOTA.

STEERINGDEVICE FOR TRACTORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 6, 1 914.

., e flication filed January 27, 1913. Serial No. 744.411.

To dill '(IJ/{UII'L it may concern Be it known that I, Auous'r Si'nxmus'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Drayton, in the county of Pembina and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Devices for Tractors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an extremely f mple and highly etiicient guide or steering device for tractors or traction engines; and to such ends, the invention consists of the novel devices and combina; tions of devices hereinafter described and defined in the, claims.

Particularly, this improved steering device is applicable to tractors, the front wheels of which are journaled. to knucklelike trunnions pivoted to the front axle and mnnected for parallel movements. The guide includes a guide wheel journaled to the front end of a long arm-like steering frame, the rear end of which embraces one of the front wheels of the tractor and is pivotally attached on opposite sides thereof, to the opposite end portions of the trunnion on which the said embraced wheel is journaled.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a view in side elevation showing the running gear of the tractor and illustrating my improved guide applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the running gear and guide, the rear portions of the former being broken away; Fig.3 is a front elevation of the guide, some parts being broken away; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a portion ofthe front axle and the knuckle trunnion to which the guide device attached.

Of the parts of the running ear of the traction engine, it isonly desira le for the purpose of'this case to note the framework 1. rear's'traction wheels 2, front wheels 3, front aide 4 and knuckle trmmions 5. The knuckle trunnion 5 which is at the. left hand side of the tractor, is or may be, of the ordinary construction, but the knuckle trunnion 5 which is at the right, is made longer than the other trunnion and is provided at ;on the frame 1.

short arm 6. The said knuckle,trunnions 5 are pivoted to the front axle 4 at 7 and they are provided with rearwardly extended arms 8 connected by a'link 9, which causes the said knuckle trunnions to partake of parallel angular movements.

The furrow engaging guide wheel 10 is journaled n the lower end of a wheel journal bracket 11, the upper end of which is swiveled in the front end of a long'trussed arm-likesteering frame 12. This steering frame 12 is bifurcated or forked at its rear endso that it embraces the right hand front wheel 3, and the inner prong thereof is pivotally connected to the short arm 6 of the right hand knuckle at 13, while the outer prong thereof is pivotally connected on the outer end of said axle zit-14. The said steering frame 12 is thus mounted with freedom for vertical movements, but is caused to partake of thehorizontal-pivotal or angular -movcments of the ri ht hand knuckle-"5. x

Preferably. the guide wheel 'is set oblique to a perpendicular planecxtending longitudinally of the tractor. The swivel journal bracket. 11, at its upper end, is rovided with a rigidly secured arm 15 to w ich the front end of a thrust rod 16 is adjustably pivoted, as shown, by means of a bolt 17 and. bolt seats 18. At its rear end, the thrust rod 16 is pivotally connected at 19 to the front end of a short plunger 20 that is mounted for endw'ise movements, but held against. rotary movement in a keeper 21 on the traction frame 1. The pivot 15) is located close to the pivot 13 so as not to interfere with vertical movements of the front end of the steering frame 12. The rear end of the plunger-.20 is internally screw-tln'eaded and is engaged by the threaded front end of a screw shaft 22 journalcd in a bracket 24 The rear end of the screw shaft 22 is connected by a knuckle joint 25 to the front end of an oblique shaft 26 journaled in the bracket 24 and in a hearing 27 in the frame 1, and provided at its rear end w'th a hand wheel 28, preferably so' located that it may be casil v,rcached by a person standing on the operators rear platform, not shown.

The guide wheel 10 is adapted to run in a furrow previously formed by one of a set of gang plows drawn by the tractor, but is also adapted to run on smooth or unplowed ground; As the guide wheel is located farahead of the front wheels of the tractor, and is connected thereto by the long guide frame 12, it has a very effective power for steering the tractor. When the shaft 26 is rotated in one direction, the plunger 20 will be forced forward, thereby imparting an adjustment to the guide wheel which will cause the tractor to turn toward the right, and conversely, when the said shaft '26 is rotated in an opposite direction,- the plunger will be drawn rearward and the guide wheel 10 will be given an adjustment which will causethe tractor to turn toward the left; When running in a furrow, the guide -wheel-should be so set that it will hug the land side edge of the furrow and thereby automatically follow the furrow and guide the tractor without requiring the attention of the operator. When running on smooth or-unplowed ground or where there is no furrow for the guide wheel to follow, the

' steering of the tractor is controlled by inanipnla-ticn of the hand wheel 28 and throu h frame, a guide wheel journaled to said j ournal bracket, and connections extending rearward from, said journal bracket and adapted I to be manipulated to impart angular steering movements to said guide wheel, the said connect-ions includin a thrust rod, a rotary steering shaft, an cooperating screwthreaded elements, one connected to said steering shaft for rotation therewith and the other connected to said thrust rod for endwise movement therewith.

2. The combination with a running gear having frontwheels mounted for angular steering. movements, of a steering frame arranged to partake of the horizontal angular movements of said front wheels, a journal bracket s'wiveled to the front end of said frame, a guide wheel journaled to said journal bracket, and connections extending rearward from said journal bracket and a apted to be manipulated to impart angular steering movements to said guide, wheel, the said connections including a short arm on the upper end of said journal bracket, a thrust r extending rearward from said arm, a-

rotary steering shaft, and cooperating screwthreaded elements, one connected to said steering shaft for rotation therewith, and the other connected to said thrust rod for ,endwise movement therewith.

. 'In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 7 in presence of two witnesses.

' AUGUST STENQUIST.

Witnesses:

H. Aa'lnou, H. E. Hanson. 

